The second volume of the Provincial Auditor’s report, released today, identifies several areas where the Sask. Party government’s failure to wisely invest in people has caused greater suffering and costs us all more.

One significant concern is the backlog of biopsies identified in the report. As of September 2018, there was a backlog of 1,300 biopsies awaiting analysis at the Regina and Saskatoon labs.

The NDP wrapped up a successful fall session bringing the fight to the Sask. Party for their cuts to education, the deteriorating health outcomes and crisis in mental health and addictions, and their mismanagement of the economy as a whole and in particular their costly and failed megaprojects. While raising the concerns of people from throughout Saskatchewan in the Legislature, the NDP also proposed several ideas that would help better the lives of all people.

“Our caucus team has worked incredibly hard this session to hold this government to account for its damaging choices, while putting forward the good policy ideas that can make a positive difference in people’s lives,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili.

The NDP is continuing its fight to get survivors of domestic violence paid leave by introducing Bill No. 614 — The Saskatchewan Employment (Support for Survivors of Domestic Violence) Amendment Act, 2018.

“We have taken some positive steps to address the fact that Saskatchewan has some of the worst rates of domestic violence in the country, but there is still a lot more work to do,” said NDP Justice Critic Nicole Sarauer. “This bill is something that advocates have been calling for. We’ve seen other jurisdictions move towards having paid leave, and we’re hoping the government will do the right thing and finally pass this legislation.”

Parents with concerns about the condition of École St. Pius X joined with the NDP at the Legislature to call on the Sask. Party government to finally commit to repairing or rebuilding the school.

“Having a school with cracking walls or a leaking roof is not a proper learning environment for any student,” said NDP Education Critic Carla Beck. “Parents and teachers have been raising the alarm about the unsafe state of St. Pius for years, but this government has failed to do anything about it.”

The Sask. Party government has been known to play shell games to try to spin that its PST hikes and its cuts to education and healthcare don’t actually hurt Saskatchewan people. The falling GDP projections hidden within Saskatchewan’s mid-year financials is the latest example.

The Sask. Party bragged about “cumulative GDP growth” for 2017 and 2018 being “slightly higher than the budget forecast” in the media release accompanying the mid-year report, but that supposed growth was entirely due to higher actual growth in 2017. When 2017’s GDP growth is taken out of the picture, a much bleaker prognosis emerges.